Safety mechanism for firearms.



W. H. GATES. SAFETY MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1908.

Patented Sept 14, 1909.

"Unis-5E1)- strnfrns Parana? ornion.

VVILLIAIW H. GATES, OF NORWICH, CONNEGTI CUT, ASSIGNOR TO HOPKINS & ALLEN ARMS'COMPANY, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT, AZ-CORPDRETION OF CONNECTICUT.

SAFETY MEGI-IANISM- roarmmmms'.

Specification'of Letters Patent. Patented-Sept, 14, 1909,

Application filed June 26, 1908. Serial No. 440,435.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that '1 \VILLIAM H. GATES,.

a' citizen ofthe United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented. a: new and useful Safety Mechanism for Firearms, of which the following isa specification.-

The object of this invention is to provideanew and improved safety mechanism for locking fire-arms against accidental discharge.

To this end the invention. consists of the device described and claimed in. this specification and illustrated in the accompanying. drawing, referring to which,

Figure 1 isa side elevation partly in section illustratingthe application of myinven tien to a single bar-reledshot-gun. Fig; 2' is a'- partialview similar to Fig. 1. showing. the parts inanother position.- Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig: 1. Fig. 4 is a: sectional view taken! on. the line 4-4 of Fig- 1. Fig. 5 is a partial side-elevation illustrating a modification, and Fig; 6 is asimilar view illustrating as still further modification.

Referring to the drawing and: in. detail, A designates-the stock and B' the-barrel. of a: gun; Thebarrel has the usual. depending. lug C which fitsinto the stock. and which. is pivoted thereto'by a-- pin 10 which is screwthreaded into: oneof the arms of the-stock, which pin can be turned by an arm 11 pivoted thereto.

The hammer 12 and the trigger 13 are pivotedin thestockin the usual way and areactuated by the usual spring not necessary here to show.

1'4 designates the usual fore-arm which may be attached to the barrel by meansof a screw 15. This fore-armmay be madeof wood and mayhave a metallic plate or base- 16 held thereto by suitable screws. These parts may be' made of any ordinary or approved construction andneed no further description. The hammer may bear directly onthe' cartridge'or shell or any of the usual: firing pins.

Inthe first modi fioation, a lockin g mechanism is employed which looks bothth'e hann mer and trigger. This locking mechanism: consists ofan arm 17- which is hung: 011 a pivot 18 in the-stock so that said: arm hangs freely at one sideof the hammer asshow-n.

A spring-19 is secured. to the stock and is arranged to' bear onthe locking arm 17 so as tothrow the lower end of the same normally forward.

In the form under discussion, the locking.

arm has a forwardly extending projection 20.- A pin 21 is secured. in the hammer to cotiperatowith the-projection 20. The triggeris providednvith an upwardly extending ear or projection 22: to engage under the end of the locking.anm. Vhen the parts are in normali position and the hammer locked, as shown i'ni Eig. I, it is impossible to pull the trigger backward: as the projection 22 of' the trigger engages with the end of the locking arm 17 and it is also impossible for the hammer to drop or descend toward the barrel. as the hammer pin 21 engages under the projectiom20'of the loclring arm.

'Fo-relea-se the locking armthe following mechanism! is provided. A rod 23 is-pivoted to the locking; arm 17.- Fhis rod. extends forward through a hole bored in: one of the side arms of thestock,.as'indicated.in Fig. 4. A hole isboredthrough the fore-arm on an incline as shown in Fig. 1 and fitted in this hole-is'a 13211124.- The hole in the fore-arm is arranged so tha t the end of the bar 24 will engage the end. of. the rod. 23. The bar 24 hasa collar 25 thereonand engaging said collaris a spring: 26 which tends normally to force theban 24 forward. The fore-arm is also provided with a slot 27 in one of its sides. Vorking in this slotted portion 27 of the fore-armisax cylinder 28. A hole is bored through this cylinder so that the bar 24.02111 pass-through the same. A- screw 29 is tapped on threaded in the end of the cylinder 28 s0 as to engage the bar 24. The

screw 29- has a large head 30 fitting on the side ofthe forearm, as shown in Fig. 3, so

as to' formairoperating piece. By this construction an adjustable connect-ion is providedbetween the screw 29 and the bar 24.

The operation is as follows z-VVhen the gum is cooked. the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1' and the locking arm 17 engages the trigger projection 22 to prevent the trigger being pulled backward to re lease the hammer and the hammer pin- 21 engages under the'projection 20 of the lockingarmlso that the'hammer cannot be pulledforward. This locks-both hammer and trigger as previously described. lVhen it is desired to fire the gun, the head 30 of the screw 29 or the operating piece is pushed to the rear which can be conveniently and easily done by the hand which grasps the fore-arm. This swings the locking arm 17 backward and releases the same from the trigger projection 22 and moves the projection 20 away from engagement with the hammer pin 21. This allows the trigger to be pulled to fire the gun.

The gun shown has the usual rebounding hammer and when the hammer is in its uncocked position the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2. In this position of parts the hammer pin 21 engages the locking arm 17 above the projection 20 and pushes said locking arm to the rear so that the end of the same is clear of the trigger projection This allows the hammer to be cocked in the usual way and when this action takes place the locking arm will swing forward to engage the trigger projection 22 and the hammer pin 21 moving forward will allow the swinging forward of the locking arm so that the projection 20 thereof will pass over the hammer pin 21 and lock the hammer in its raised position.

It will be noticed that when the gun is broken or when the barrel is turned around the pin 10 for loading, that the operating connections are not interfered with as the rod 23 is contained entirely within the stock and the bar 24 is contained entirely within the fore-arm.

The lines between the pivot 18 and the points at which the arm 17 engages the pin 21 or the end 22 of the trigger are substantially tangent to the line of motion of said pin 21 and end 22, consequently the pressure on the point and end are exerted directly toward the pivot 18 and the trigger and hammer are both positively and independently locked against motion in the direction for firing the arm.

I11 Fig. 5 a modification is shown wherein the projection 20 of the locking arm 17 is omitted and the locking arm 17 is used simply tolock the trigger from being pulled backward until the operating piece 30 is pushed to the rear. In this modification the hammer pin 21 serves the same functions as above, except that there is no lock provided for holding the hammer in cocked position until the safety is operated.

In Fig. G a modification is shown wherein the trigger projection 22 is omitted and the parts are arranged so that only the hammer is locked in cocked position until the safety is released. By the arrangements described, a very simple apparatus for the purposes mentioned is provided.

It will be noticed that the locking arm 17 normally tends to lock either or both firing members; that is, either or both the hammer or trigger, and that the gun can only be fired by moving the locking arm backward through the connections described. Thus, no matter which modification shown in the drawings is employed, the hammer is locked in cocked position and the gun can only be fired when the locking arm is swung to the rear by means of the operating connections .above described which extend out through the fore-arm.

Other constructions than those described may be made for practicing this principle of the invention. The details and constructions herein shown and described are thus subject to modificationwithout departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is -1. In a fire-arm, the combination of a trigger and hammer, a locking arm having means for engaging the hammer independently of the trigger and provided with a pivot, the line between the pivot and the point at which the locking arm engages the hammer being substantially tangent to the direction of motion of said point at which the arm engages the hammer, said arm also engagin the tri ger at a point, the line between WfiliCh an the pivot is substantially tangent to the direction of motion of said point on the trigger.

'2. In a fire-arm, the combination of the trigger and hammer, a locking arm pivoted beside the hammer, a pin on the hammer in position to engage said arm, and operating connections for the locking arm extending out through the fore-arm.

3. In a fire-arm, the combination with the trigger and hammer, of a locking member located beside the hammer and having a projection thereon, a pin on the hammer adapted to engage said projection when said member is moved forward to lock the hammer in cocked position and adapted to engage the member when it is pushed backward to keep said member out of the way, and operating connections for said locking member.

4. In a fire-arm, the combination of the trigger and hammer, a locking arm pivoted beside the hammer and having a pro ection, a pin on the hammer cooperating with said projection, a projection on the trigger cooperating with said locking arm, and operatin connections for said locking arm extending out through the fore-arm.

5. In a fire-arm, the combination of the trigger and hammer, a locking arm pivoted beside the hammer, said locking arm having a projection, a pin on the hammer cooperating with said projection, said trig er having a projection cooperating with said locking arm, a 'rod connected to said locking arm and extending forward through the stock, a bar fitted to slide in the fore-arm and to screw on the side of the fore-arm connected i to said bar.

6. In a fire-arm, the combination of the trigger and hammer, a locking arm pivoted beside the hammer, a spring tending normally to throw said locking arm forward, a projection on said locking arm, a pin on said hammer cooperating with the locking arm, a projection on the trigger also arranged to cooperate with said locking arm, a rod connected to said locking arm and extending forward through the stock, a bar fitted to slide in the fore-arm and to engage said rod, and an operating piece adjustably connected to said bar.

7. In a fire-arm, the combination of the trigger and hammer, a locking arm pivoted beside the hammer, a spring tending normally to throw said locking arm forward, a projection on said locking arm, a pin on said hammer cooperating with the locking arm, a projection on the trigger also arranged to cooperate with said locking arm, a rod connected to said locking arm and extending forward through the stock, a bar fitted to slide in the fore-arm, an operatin piece or screw adjustably connected to said bar, and a spring normally tending to push said bar forward.

8. In a fire-arm, the combination with the trigger and hammer, of a locking member, a rod connected with said locking member and extending forward through the stock, a bar 'fitted to slide in the fore-arm, and to engage the end of said rod, and an operating piece connected with said bar in the fore-arm, whereby when the gun is broken the position of the rod and locking member will not be disturbed by the motion of the bar.

9. In a fire-arm, the combination with the trigger and hammer, of a locking member, a rod connected with said locking member and contained entirely within the stock, a separate bar fitted to slide in-the fore-arm and contained entirely therein and adapted to engage said rod, an operating piece adjustably connected with said bar, and a spring normally tending to push said bar forward.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM H. GATES. Witnesses L. P. CHURCH, GEORGE FREDERICK NoYEs. 

